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Fabio Capello: Resigns as England boss
Fabio Capello has quit as England manager.
Capello resigned following a meeting with FA chairman David Bernstein and general secretary Alex Horne at Wembley Stadium.
An FA statement read: "The Football Association can confirm that Fabio Capello has today resigned as England manager."
"This follows a meeting involving FA chairman David Bernstein, FA general secretary Alex Horne and Fabio Capello at Wembley Stadium.
"The discussions focused on the FA board's decision to remove the England team captaincy from John Terry, and Fabio Capello's response through an Italian broadcast interview.
"In a meeting for over an hour, Fabio's resignation was accepted and he will leave the post of England manager with immediate effect."
Bernstein said the resignation was the right course of action.
The FA chairman said: "I would like to stress that during today's meeting and throughout his time as England manager, Fabio has conducted himself in an extremely professional manner.
"We have accepted Fabio's resignation, agreeing this is the right decision. We would like to thank Fabio for his work with the England team and wish him every success in the future."
Bernstein and the Club England management team will hold a media conference at Wembley at 12 noon on Thursday.
The shock resignation brings an end to Capello's four years in charge of England - he had been due to step down after the European Championship and leaves the FA needing to appoint a replacement as soon as possible.
The next international is later this month, a friendly against Holland on February 29 at Wembley.
The timing of the meeting coincided almost exactly with Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, the outstanding candidate to replace Capello, being cleared of tax evasion charges.
The FA's decision to go over Capello's head and strip Terry of the captaincy until after his July court case where he will deny racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand led to the Italian quitting his £6m-a-year post.
Capello told Italian TV that he "absolutely" disagreed with the action against Terry and that set him on a collision course with the FA.
Stuart Pearce, manager of England Under-21s and the Great Britain Olympic team, is expected to be put in charge for the Holland friendly.
FA head of elite development Gareth Southgate believes Pearce is a strong candidate to take temporary charge, but the longer-term picture may not be so clear.
He told ITV1: "There is a game at the end of the month. I would imagine the likely solution is someone like Stuart Pearce gets temporary charge.
"But then you've got to think of the summer and can you get the person you want for the longer term because most of the leading candidates are working with clubs at the moment.
"Harry Redknapp is clearly one of the leading candidates if you look at his record and what he has done at Tottenham - but I would imagine Tottenham would have a big say in that.
"[Spurs chairman] Daniel Levy is not going to want Harry to walk out without a fight. I would imagine an awful lot is going to happen over the next few weeks and months."
Southgate admitted he had been taken aback by Wednesday evening's developments.
He said: "I am surprised. I was at Wembley today, there was a meeting planned, and a lot of legal people around.
"But even so you didn't think that this would be the outcome of it. What's gone on in that meeting, we have to wait and find out.
"It leaves a huge hole just a few months before the tournament (Euro 2012).
"But there has been a momentum built over the last couple of weeks and sometimes there is that pressure valve. It happens at clubs and in this instance it's with the country.
"If someone offers their resignation, and it is accepted, there has been a breakdown and clearly both sides are happy to proceed with that.
"Fabio had got England to another major finals but you've got the feeling, with the media and the public over the last few months, that there has been a bit of falling out of love with Fabio.
"Maybe he has picked that sense up."
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